Something Wonderful
by Danny'sGirlSG1
Summary: Daniel's reaction to his team being gone between Nemesis and Small Victories. Set after Small Victories.


**Something Wondeful**

**A story by Pip**

**Summary: Daniel's reaction to the rest of his team being gone between Nemesis and Small Victories. Set after Small Victories.**

**Rating : I'll give it a PG for a few bad little words. **

**Season: 4, Episode tag to Small Victories.**

**Spoilers: Small Victories, Nemesis, FiaD, Gamekeeper**

**A/N: Okay, heres the first fic I've written over the past four months that I've actually finished and typed up! With the whole move, and everything, we don't have internet and cable, so, I can't access my comp like I normally would. This idea came to me while watching Small Victories on DVD (its the only thing i can really do...write fic and watch DVDs!) I hope ya'll enjoy it, and for any one who's waiting for the next ch. of Family, I'm working on it, and I'll hopefully get it finished soon!**

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"I still don't understand why he couldn't just send us straight back base." Colonel Jack O'Neill glance back at the other three members of SG-1 as they made their way to a plane preparing to whisk them back to Colorado Springs. "Doing what we did for him and his kind-" at the glance Carter shot him, Jack rephrased. "Okay, what you did for them, Carter, you'd think he could at least do THAT for us."

"Sir, wasn't it enough that we got there in time to help you and T. with your little situation." Even though they were on an Air Force Base, it was still important they stay as cryptic as possible about their most recent mission. "I mean, if your not grateful sir…" Sam couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice.

"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c came up to walk beside Sam. "I am very thankful of their impeccable timing."

Jack turned to walk backward, so he could glare at the two. "Fine, there's that. But-"

Daniel smiled contently as Jack continued to complain, watching his three friends, his family, continue on with the 'discussion' they'd been having since leaving the marina. The weeks they'd been gone, after the destruction of Thor's ship, had been hell for the archaeologist. Not knowing if his theory of them using the stargate to get off the ship had been true or not was torture, and then almost losing Jack and Teal'c before his very eyes. Nothing in his life had compared. The death of his parents, or even the recent death of his wife hadn't even come close, for the simple fact he'd given the order for them to be killed. Daniel Jackson had ordered this friends' death.

But, just watching them now, safe and sound, made that enormous feeling of guilt dissolve quickly. Too bad they couldn't make the pain in his side go away also.

Damn appendicitis. Had hit him unexpectedly offworld, and had kept him in bed for a good week. Then, because of it, he hadn't been able to help SG-1, his team, in either of their battles with the replicators. Not that they looked, or sounded like much fun to begin with, but that wasn't the point. And even now, after being forced to do nothing, his side still hurt.

The sudden and unexpected arm draped over his shoulder started Daniel back to the present with an uncontrollable wince. Looking to the side, Daniel realized Jack had fallen in step with him, and was the man attached to the arm which had inadvertently caused him so much pain.

"You doin alright?" the colonel asked concerned. "Your kinda laggin behind."

Daniel followed Jack's gaze to where Sam and Teal'c were walking quite a ways ahead of them. "Oh, sorry. My mind started wandering."

"You sure?" Jack knew better than anyone else. He could tell his friend was in pain. The key was getting Daniel to admit it, which never had been, and probably never would be easy. "Nothin happening I need to know about?"

"What could possibly be happening right now, in the middle of this base, that could be of any threat to me?" Daniel quipped sarcastically, trying to his pain with as good a smile as he could muster.

"Yeah, I guess…" Jack eyed his younger friend a moment. Did Daniel really think he'd bought it? He'd been playing the 'sarcasm to hide pain' card for most of his life. The fact that the good Doc. Jackson had winced a couple of minutes prior hadn't escaped unnoticed. "But you will tell me when something's up, right?"

If he was sure he wasn't feeling guilty before, Daniel definitely was now. Looking in the familiar brown eyes showing back nothing but care and concern, his side flared up in pain just on principle. Why was he lying to his best friend? For the time he was gone, Daniel hadn't wanted anything but to talk with Jack. Unable to bear it anymore, he sighed quietly, "My side is hurting really bad."

Jack smiled, despite the declaration his friend really was in pain. It made him feel great that Daniel trusted him enough to help him. He gently rubbed the archaeologist's arm. "Okay buddy. We'll have Janet check you out when we get on the plane."

- - - - - -

The man didn't know how to follow any kind of orders, did her? It just wasn't a concept that seemed to stick. Whether it was Jack himself on another planet, or Janet telling him to stay in bed for at least a week, Daniel just wouldn't listen. The colonel couldn't help being mad.

"Dammit Daniel!" he growled from his cramped position over his friend, unable to keep his lunch down, in the tight bathroom on the airplane. "Why can't you just LISTEN to someone when they tell you something important?"

"Sorry." Was all Daniel whispered in return.

They'd been sitting there, Janet berating Daniel for neglecting to take it easy, saying that the wound from his surgery was irritated, and this, ofcourse, led to his three teammates getting upset with him. Maybe it was everyone yelling at him to take better care of himself all at once, but it wasn't long after when Daniel had tried to slip off to the bathroom, unnoticed. Not surprisingly, though, Jack had followed him, getting slightly more angry when Daniel began to toss his cookies.

"You should be sorry." Jack sighed, annoyed. "I shouldn't have had you come along. Now, since you didn't SAY anything, Janet might put you in bed for ANOTHER week. Geez Daniel, for being so brilliant, sometimes you really don't think-"

"I said I was sorry, okay!" Daniel shouted, unable to take Jack's badgering anymore. He was feeling like shit, both physically and mentally, and all this wasn't helping in the least. He closed his eyes to try to stop the tears on the verge of coming free.

Jack placed a hand on his friend's back, not knowing what else to do. If the outburst hadn't been enough to surprise Jack, the look on Daniel's face sure did. The man was obviously walking a very narrow line, and everyone coming down on him was NOT helping. "Are you finished being sick?"

"Yeah…" Daniel's response was firmer than expected. "I'm good." He was apparently trying to deal with whatever was bothering him on his own, and that, Jack knew, never ended well.

"Are you sure? I don't want you-"

"I said I was fine Jack." Daniel stood, indicating for jack to make his way out of the little room. As both men exited, Jack glanced at his younger friend. Daniel was struggling, and any wrong thing could snap the lifeline holding those emotions in.

"Daniel." the familiar angry voiced of the Napoleonic power monger seemed to fill the space the entire group occupied. Janet approached them as they reached the vast 'commons' are where everyone else was sitting. They all looked equally upset over Daniel's lunch encore.

_'Oh, no, no, no, no…' _Jack thought so loudly in his head, almost to the point where others could have heard it, if Janet wasn't ranting at Daniel.

"This is what happens when you don't LISTEN to what I say Daniel." She sounded more like a mother talking to three year old than a man with multiple PhD's. "You could have an infection for all we know…"

Jack looked up just in time to watch that line snap. Though it was subtle, and unnoticeable to everyone else, Jack knew this run had run it course, watching the archaeologist bow his head in shame, admitting defeat against his emotions.

"Okay!" Jack jumped in, trying to sound cheerful. He stepped between Janet and Daniel, facing the smaller woman. "What do you say we call it quits, eh?" he heard Daniel take a shuddering deep breath behind him.

"But colonel, how is he ever going to learn to listen, it I don't…" Janet was being cruel. Jack knew that. They all only cared for and loved Daniel, but couldn't they see how much this WASN'T the time.

"I know doc…." He nodded in understanding. "And Daniel knows."

"I don't think the does Jack. This keeps happening!" Janet glanced up at him concerned. Jack felt Daniel sink into one of the chairs near where they were standing. _'OH BOY.' _He thought.

"Janet this isn't the time, okay?" he tried to send her some kind of silent message. "He understands, just….Can you give us a minute?"

The woman returned the question with a confused look. Glancing around jack, she saw Daniel sitting in the chair. Then the realization seemed to hit her, and she quickly returned focus back to the colonel. "I….I don't…I mean…"

Jack smiled. He knew Janet would figure it out. "Just give us a little bit."

Janet looked at Daniel again. "Okay. I'll go let the others know he's okay." She turned quickly, leaving Jack to do what he did best – care for his archaeologist.

As soon as she was out of decent hearing distance, Jack spun on his heels, and look down at Daniel, who was now looking back.

"I'm sorry." He said in wavering whisper. A whisper that quickly turned into quiet sobbing the stress of the past few weeks becoming to much.

"Oh god…" Jack gathered Daniel into a strong embrace. "Danny. No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Now jack felt like shit. Here his best friend was in pain, not just from his recent appendectomy, and all the colonel could think about was Daniel not following orders. When you took it upon yourself to devote your time to others, like Daniel did, how could there be any room to care for yourself all on your own?

Daniel buried his face in Jack's shoulder. "I'm so sorry…" he cried softly. "I didn't mean to make you guys mad…I…I"

"Shhh, its okay Danny." Jack slowly rubbed his hand up and down Daniel's back. "I'm not mad at you. No one's mad. We're just concerned your pushing too hard, that's all. You don't need to…"

"You were gone Jack." Daniel didn't yell, but his voice grew considerably louder. He pulled away and looked at Jack, wanting so desperately for the colonel to understand. "All of you were gone, and I didn't know what to do! I felt so helpless, so lost. I wanted so much to be with you guys. Me life just vanished. I didn't know if you'd be back, and then you forcing me to watch you die!" Forcing me to kill you Jack? You and Teal'c….I'd only just gotten my family back." The tears began coming faster.

And the colonel DID understand now. Now he understood why Daniel had been so happy to see them in the gateroom, so reluctant to have them on that submarine, so hesitant to kill Jack and Teal'c. Now Jack understood. He hadn't thought about Daniel's place in the events of the past few days and longer, but he got it now. He placed himself on the seat next to Daniel, and gathered him in his arms once more. He placed his hand behind Daniel's head, and just held his crying friend.

"I missed you so much Jack." Daniel cried into Jack's shoulder.

"I missed you too Danny. " Jack gently rocked back and forth. "I missed you too."

- - - - -

"I don't understand it." Major Paul Davis replied to the three other people sitting around the table on the plane. He glanced over at Sam before returning his amazed stare to the two man across the way. "How could two such obvious opposites in almost every sense, be that close?"

Sam looked over at two-thirds of her team. Davis wasn't kidding about close. Both men were asleep, Daniel's head resting on a pillow in Jack's lap. The colonel, in turn, had his arm in a protective position around his younger friend. It was something Sam had seem many times over the past couple of years, and it always made her smile.

"Major," she replied knowingly. "No one understands it. That's not the point. The point it you have accept their friendship for what it is."

"And what is that?" Davis asked curiously.

Sam smiled again, brighter than before. "Something wonderful."

**The End**

**A/N: Well! Please review! I love them almost as much as I love cookies. And, don't hold back. Was it crap? Was it brilliant, what? I MUST KNOW! LoL. **


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